EXCLUSIVE: The 'Dallas' actress 'Who Shot J.R.' - Mary Crosby (daughter of Bing!) - reveals how producers tricked the cast by having everyone shoot the scene on the 35th anniversary of the show's most famous episode

  • Mary Crosby, 56, daughter of legendary crooner Bing, was revealed as J.R. Ewing's shooter on Nov. 21, 1980
  • Crosby played Kristin Shepard on Dallas, the scorned mistress and sister-in-law of J.R. 
  • She tells Daily Mail Online she screwed up by waiting around for more 'arty' roles
  • Crosby reveals even she was in the dark over 'who done it.' 
  • CBS producers 'had everybody shoot that scene with J.R., and I mean everybody'
  • Her greatest gift from Dallas was her friendship with Larry Hagman who walked her down the aisle at her wedding 
  • 'For many people in the business, it's about ego, but dad had so many other things in life that he loved,' says Mary of father Bing Crosby 

It is the one of the greatest moments in TV history - Who Shot J.R.?

Thirty-five years ago, millions of viewers were obsessed with the plot line following the attempted murder of the world's most famous TV villain - played by Larry Hagman - and then later the big reveal of the would-be assassin's identity.

It was a relatively unknown Mary Crosby. Her only claim to fame: She was the 19-year-old daughter of musical legend, Bing Crosby.

Her role on Dallas as Kristin Shepard, J.R.'s scorned mistress and sister-in-law, propelled her to A-list stardom but in an exclusive interview with Daily Mail Online - the now 56-year-old reveals her own pickiness hurt her career.

'After Dallas I made that classic mistake - having my 15-minutes of fame and thinking I could afford to wait around for more 'arty' roles. 

'So I put myself out of commission and waited for work that was less available to me,' says Mary.

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'Dallas was hugely instrumental in putting me on the map. First, I was Bing's daughter then I became the 'girl who shot J.R.,' says Mary Crosby about her career (pictured with Larry Hagman in 1980)

'Dallas was hugely instrumental in putting me on the map. First, I was Bing's daughter then I became the 'girl who shot J.R.,' says Mary Crosby about her career (pictured with Larry Hagman in 1980)

Mary Crosby as Kristin Shepard with Larry Hagman's J.R. Ewing in the third season of Dallas in 1979. The episode was called, 'The Kristin Affair'

Mary Crosby as Kristin Shepard with Larry Hagman's J.R. Ewing in the third season of Dallas in 1979. The episode was called, 'The Kristin Affair'

 'I was originally hired for seven shows but they liked me so much that I was lucky enough to stick around for a year and a half. It changed my life in a wonderful way,' says Mary

 'I was originally hired for seven shows but they liked me so much that I was lucky enough to stick around for a year and a half. It changed my life in a wonderful way,' says Mary

'I was certainly in demand and people knew who I was because of Dallas, but I said no to things that I didn't think were great and wanted to do movies and art movies.

'I think if I'd gone full force into television I would probably have worked nonstop forever. 

'But I wanted something else, something of more substance, and of course that's not going to happen just from starring in Dallas.'

'I'm not surprised that people have forgotten who shot J.R. Of course they have forgotten - it was lifetimes ago. I'm not sad about that because that is how it should be. 

'Dallas was hugely instrumental in putting me on the map. First, I was Bing's daughter then I became the 'girl who shot J.R.'. 

'I was originally hired for seven shows but they liked me so much that I was lucky enough to stick around for a year and a half. It changed my life in a wonderful way,' 

Mary's role as Kristin was axed when she was exposed as the culprit who almost killed the show's leading man, J.R. Ewing.

Little did she know that when the role ended, a lifelong friendship with Larry would begin.

'Dallas was a different life, and such an incredible experience, but the greatest gift from that experience was Larry and his wife, Maj.'

Mary and Larry remained close friends until his death from cancer in 2013.

Doting father Bing Crosby playfully holding one-year-old Mary at their home in 1960

Doting father Bing Crosby playfully holding one-year-old Mary at their home in 1960

Mary is carried off the beautiful beach by famous dad Bing Crosby, with mom Kathryn Grant trailing behind them holding one of her two brothers

Mary is carried off the beautiful beach by famous dad Bing Crosby, with mom Kathryn Grant trailing behind them holding one of her two brothers

Mary and Bing reeled in one massive fish. The two posed proudly with their catch

Mary and Bing reeled in one massive fish. The two posed proudly with their catch

'I think he found a balance between the business and having a life. For many people in the business, it's about ego, but dad had so many other things in life that he loved,' Mary says of her father 

'I think he found a balance between the business and having a life. For many people in the business, it's about ego, but dad had so many other things in life that he loved,' Mary says of her father 

Crosby and Hagman's appearance in the Who Done It? episode was at the time, the highest-rated television episode in U.S. history.

It had a Nielsen rating of 53.3 and a 76% share, and it was estimated that 83 million people watched the episode on November 21, 1980.

An actors strike and the summer hiatus meant fans of the show had to wait an agonizing eight months to see the episode air. But Crosby says even she was in the dark over 'who done it.'

CBS producers used cunning tactics to prevent all cast and crew members from finding out who was responsible.

'I had no idea who had shot J.R., none of us did.

'The producers of the show had everybody shoot J.R., and I mean everybody. 

Now 35 years asince she 'shot J.R.', Mary Crosby is married with two sons

Now 35 years asince she 'shot J.R.', Mary Crosby is married with two sons

'The make-up artists were filmed shooting him, the producers were filmed shooting him, Larry himself was filmed shooting himself.

'The show's producers were very smart. Had the secret actually gotten out then I think they would have switched me out with somebody else.

'They had Linda Gray and Victoria Principal and all the other girls in J.R.'s life, shoot him. 

'And what's more, they used it as a negotiation ploy. If one of the girls had asked for way too much money, then they would have been the one.

'I had a suspicion it could have been me because J.R. needed a new mistress and the show needed new blood, but I still didn't believe anything until after it aired.

'They really did make sure that no one knew for sure, and that was really a miracle because they were able to maintain the secret through the actors' strike and the hiatus and the summer, and to have pulled that off was incredible.

'When the whole 'Who shot J.R.' was happening, I was actually shooting a mini series in England at the time called Dick Turpin's Greatest Adventure, and so it was completely wild. 

'I had a hilarious moment when I was in England. A little old lady recognized me from the show and knew I'd shot J.R. 

'She was a real grandmother type and told me, 'Darling, you should have shot lower.' It was the last thing I expected her to say.

'People in England were so incredibly enthusiastic and addicted and obsessed with the show and that made it even more exciting for me to be over there at that time.

'Truly, the British audience was by far the most enthusiastic audience that Dallas had. I just remember everything seemed to shut down on a Friday night when the show was on.  

Hagman (left) walked Mary down the aisle during her intimate wedding to Mark Brodka in 1998 at the Crosby family ranch. Only 60 guests were in attendance. Her father, Bing Crosby, had passed away

Hagman (left) walked Mary down the aisle during her intimate wedding to Mark Brodka in 1998 at the Crosby family ranch. Only 60 guests were in attendance. Her father, Bing Crosby, had passed away

Mary Crosby with her husband, Mark Brodka (far left),  holding their children, Larry and his wife, Maj (center)

Mary Crosby with her husband, Mark Brodka (far left),  holding their children, Larry and his wife, Maj (center)

'My dad died before I was cast on Dallas, but I think he would have been very proud of me, but mom was absolutely thrilled and very supportive. I think everybody was quite tickled for me.' 

Mary's mother, known as Kathryn Grant, was an actress and singer married to Bing for 20 years until his death.

'None of us knew what a huge phenomenon the show would become. Each week as the show got bigger and bigger, and the more people watched, the more intense it became for us all. 

'It was a very heavy time for everybody because the show quickly became enormous and stayed that way for a very long time.

'It was so wonderful to be a part of that process and it was very exciting and I remember the first time they told us the show had broken a certain record in terms of the audience numbers and everybody was just over the moon. I truly loved being a part of the show.'

But 35 years on, Bing Crosby's daughter says the greatest gift she received from Dallas was a lifelong friendship with co-star Larry Hagman.

'I continued to see a lot of Larry because we both lived in Malibu. Even though I was no longer on the show our relationship never changed. 

'I mean literally, Larry was the one to vet my husband, and believe me there were a couple of guys before my husband who Larry absolutely did not approve of and did not pass.

'Larry was definitely as close to a father figure as I had after dad died.

The Crosby family, Harry, Kathryn, Bing, Nathaniel and Mary, pose for a family shot

The Crosby family, Harry, Kathryn, Bing, Nathaniel and Mary, pose for a family shot

The Crosby's look picture perfect as they pose together during their childhood
The Crosby's look picture perfect as they pose together during their childhood

The Crosby's look picture perfect as they pose together during their childhood

Bing Crosby died in 1977 at 74 years old. Mary was 18 years old when he passed away

Bing Crosby died in 1977 at 74 years old. Mary was 18 years old when he passed away

'I remember we were all in a limo one night heading back from Southfork Ranch to our hotel. I was sat with Larry, Linda Gray and Patrick Duffy and I remember they were all drinking champagne and being wonderfully sophisticated. 

'I then asked Larry, "So how did you get into the business?" and he said, "Well, my mom was an actress and she wanted me to do a play with her, but I decided I wanted to be a 'real man' and work on my dad's ranch in Texas as a cowboy. 

'"And soon I realized that being a cowboy was a hell of a lot of work, so I decided to go and do the play with my mom.

'"I remember thinking, 'Oh how cute, he did community theater"

'So I asked, "What was the play?" He said, "Annie Get Your Gun." And I'm still thinking he was in some small town somewhere. "So where did you do it?" and he said, "Broadway."

'And then I said, "Who is your mother?", and he said, "Mary Martin."

'Because of course, my dad and his mom did movies together and we were a continuation of that.

'My dad and his mom, Mary Martin, adored each other and Mary was still alive when I was on Dallas and she just loved that.

The moment J.R. Ewing was shot on Dallas left millions of viewers wondering who pulled the trigger

The moment J.R. Ewing was shot on Dallas left millions of viewers wondering who pulled the trigger

Sue Ellen Ewing, Linda Gray's character, has a flashback and remembers Kristin Shepard, played by Mary Crosby, was the one who shot J.R.

Sue Ellen Ewing, Linda Gray's character, has a flashback and remembers Kristin Shepard, played by Mary Crosby, was the one who shot J.R.

As many as 90 million viewers in the U.S. alone tuned to Dallas on November 21, 1980 to find out who shot J.R. Ewing. Mary Crosby's character Kristin Shepard was revealed as the shooter

As many as 90 million viewers in the U.S. alone tuned to Dallas on November 21, 1980 to find out who shot J.R. Ewing. Mary Crosby's character Kristin Shepard was revealed as the shooter

'Larry soon became a part of our family. He and Maj were Godparents to our children and we spent a great deal of time with them.

'My very first day on Dallas - and you can YouTube it because it's quite funny – I climb out of a pool wearing the world's smallest bikini and I dry myself off seductively and talking with Larry. 

'But during filming I got out of the pool and was so terrified that I have the towel clutched to my breast and the director yelled at me because I really was not in any way sexy.'. 

The director told her to go back and do it again so she crawled back into the pool and came out again and she saw Larry had put a banana down the front of his pants and his eyes were crossed and he was drooling out of the side of his mouth. 

'I started to laugh and realized that I was going to be just fine, because the ice had been broken. I then went back in and I did the scene and I was fine.

'Larry always made things work for everybody else. He taught me how to hit my mark and find my light and he really taught me how to have fun being a bad guy.  

'We had many dinners together at Southfork Ranch and we'd all be having serious conversations about work when in the middle of it all Larry, would take a bread roll, stick it on a spoon and fling it into Victoria Principal's cleavage. 

'There were many loves that he had and he balanced them all incredibly well,' Mary says of her father Bing Crosby (far right)

'There were many loves that he had and he balanced them all incredibly well,' Mary says of her father Bing Crosby (far right)

'I'm very, very happy in my life and with the people in my life. So it's every phase of life brings different gifts and I am so happy to be where I am today,' Mary Crosby (center in leotard) tells Daily Mail Online

'I'm very, very happy in my life and with the people in my life. So it's every phase of life brings different gifts and I am so happy to be where I am today,' Mary Crosby (center in leotard) tells Daily Mail Online

'Then Patrick would do the same, both of them had expert aim.

'Both Larry and Patrick were fantastic like that. They got the work done, they were totally professional, and yet they threw in all this fun and craziness that made it such a joy.

'I remember one of my first scenes with Larry I was wearing this very sexy dress and they had pulled my hair back, and Larry took one look and said, "Wow! She looks twelve."

'I was 19, but he wasn't completely incorrect.

'Larry was very protective of me. I remember the director wanted Larry to grab me on the a** and I looked at the director and said, "Oh, I'm not comfortable with that," and so Larry pulled the director aside and then he did something much sexier. 

'He ran his hand down my back, which was bare, and that was much more captivating and I was completely comfortable with it. 

'That was the kind of thing Larry was always doing; he didn't just make it work, he made it better.

'Larry was one of the most generous actors there was, and not just with me but with everyone else too. 

'He was all about making the scene work and I think he was incredibly sweet with me and Charlene Tilton, who was even more of a puppy, she was just 17, so she was the baby of the show.

'Larry grew to love me deeply, as I did him. He was an extraordinary human being an actor and he really took care of everybody.

The pair were such great friends that Larry gave Mary away at her wedding to Mark Brodka in 1998, her second husband.

'The joke is, I didn't actually 'walk' down the aisle. We got married in our backyard and I rode in on my horse. 

'I rode around the lawn and then slid off and Larry walked me over to the deck where my husband was waiting.

Mary and Mark tied the knot  at the Crosby family ranch in Nevada with just 60 people in attendance. 

'So many weddings end up being productions with relatives, friends, work associates and then people that you don't really like but you have to invite them. 

Mary went on to have two sons. Larry was named their godfather. Reflecting on Larry's final years, Mary only has fond memories.

'The world is a far less interesting place with Larry gone, but he lived a full and creative life and was able to do what he loved most until the very end. I will miss him. 

'I sat with Maj in the hospital when Larry had his liver replaced. He always said that everything after that was just frosting.

'He used his last years to give back to the world - whether it was for organ donation awareness, bringing solar power to third world villages or being an environmental activist, he never stopped giving back.

Looking back on her own life, Mary tells Daily Mail Online, 'I didn't really do anything fancy or extraordinary. 

'I don't think people really cared about what I did all that much. I think they were far too interested in who shot J.R. than me, and that suited me just fine.

'I was basically able to work steadily throughout the 80's and 90's and have a wonderful time.

'I did a lot of theater work because my training was in theater, and because I also thought to myself, 'I'm Bing's daughter, I really need to know what I'm doing! I can't just fake it.

'That said, I don't think that any of my Shakespeare training did me any good on Dallas – I basically started from scratch and learned everything else from Larry, who was the master.'

Mary Crosby reveals, 'My father was not at all interested in his work when it was done. He would watch it once and then that was it'

Mary Crosby reveals, 'My father was not at all interested in his work when it was done. He would watch it once and then that was it'

Bing Crosby poses with his family for a Christmas photograph. Mary (right) is dolled up in curls 

Bing Crosby poses with his family for a Christmas photograph. Mary (right) is dolled up in curls 

Mary says that being an actress is like being an old race horse. They hear the bell and they still want to work. 

'As a young actress there's a lot to be said about casting your net and having choices that go in numerous directions,' she continued.

'But twenty years on you learn that there aren't that many opportunities available to you anymore.

'Some acting jobs have a great cast but it's a bad script, or a great script but nothing works quite as it should. But Dallas was straight across the board great fun with wonderful people. 

'My father was not at all interested in his work when it was done. He would watch it once and then that was it. 

'I think he found a balance between the business and having a life. For many people in the business, it's about ego, but dad had so many other things in life that he loved. 

'Whether it was hunting or fishing or baseball or golf, he really found the balance. It wasn't about the adulation for dad at all. It was about the music or it was about the golf, or the fishing. 

'There were many loves that he had and he balanced them all incredibly well.

'Today, I have the most wonderful husband and these two fantastic boys who drive me crazy and I just adore them. 

'I'm very, very happy in my life and with the people in my life. So it's every phase of life brings different gifts and I am so happy to be where I am today.'

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